


Parental Paranormal Activity

by Kin_of_Norway



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Also minor off-screen character death for Twilight's parents, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Major character death is Time bc hes dead, Mostly fluff with a bittersweet ending, No beta we die like my feelings did working on this fic, The Ordonians are just kinda there since focus is on time and twilight, Time fights some monsters dont worry about it, Time is a restless spirit and he finds baby Twilight and watches over him, Time said 'ghost dad rights', Written for the Halloween LU writing exchange, bc i wanted him to be able to hug baby twi dont question me, why does Time have a hylian ghost form instead of his skeleton man hero's shade form you ask?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27331687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kin_of_Norway/pseuds/Kin_of_Norway
Summary: Time reduced to a restless spirit after his death wanders the world and watches on as his name is forgotten by history. Centuries pass, and one fateful night he finds a small baby in the woods, its parents slain by monsters. Once he figures out the baby is an infant Twilight, his long lost parental instincts from when he was a single dad of 8 rushes back full force, and Hylia help anyone who dares to ever harm his pup.Or:Twilight is precious lil bean and Time is a ghost dad
Relationships: Time & Twilight (Linked Universe), Twilight (Linked Universe) & Ordonians (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 120





	Parental Paranormal Activity

**Author's Note:**

> For the lovely Wild Witch in the LU Gift Exchange Server! Happy halloween!

He was nothing more than a Shade these days. A silent observer to the world around him. Time also seemed to move forward in unpredictable ways, one day it would move at a snail’s pace, and the next he would blink, and a season would have passed. 

Time sighed silently to himself, one eye watching the land and its people move on without him. It seems he’s met with a terrible fate, hasn’t he?

___

A child’s cry ring out in the forest. The ears of his golden wolf form perk up at the sound, one glowing red eye fixed in the direction the sound came from. 

What’s a child doing out in the forest at this time of night?

Time runs quickly, paws flying over the forest floor. His protective streak is flaring up again, and it makes him push himself to his limit, running as fast as he can.

The scene he stumbles upon when he bursts out from the undergrowth is not a pretty one.  
A male, Hylian by his ears, lies face down on the ground. His hand is grasping a sword.  
Time cannot hear his heartbeat. 

The excited chittering of monsters draws his attention, and to the side he spots a Hylian woman collapsed against a tree, hunched over a bundle in her arms, while five monsters surrounds her. 

The cry rings out again, and with sudden clarity Time realizes it’s coming from the bundle in the woman’s arms. The monsters shuffle around gleefully, and when one of them reaches for the bundle, Time doesn’t even hesitate.

With a fierce howl, he launches himself at the monsters, who squawk in surprise and panic, not expecting to be ambushed by a predator. 

The monsters fall quickly under his sharp claws and teeth, and the battle is over in seconds. 

Time stands still for a few moments, taking in the form of the fallen monsters, before the child lets out a cry again, and he quickly trots on over. 

The babe is small, not even a year old, but Time can definitely _feel_ something is different about this child.  
He goes to nudge the child with his snout, but he’s shocked to find a hand, complete with flesh reaching out towards the baby instead. 

What?

Time freezes in his place, staring at the hand. It’s been a while, since he last saw his own flesh. These days, he’d only either see a golden paw or a skeleton hand, never a human looking one. 

He’s shaken out of his shock when a small hand grips around one of his fingers, and his eye snaps over to meet a pair of bright blue eyes. _Familiar blue eyes._  
Time can’t place them, but he knows those eyes. Brows furrowing (because he can do that now in his current form, what is going on?), he goes to pick up the child, swaddling the babe with the blanket covering him.  
As he does so, he makes out carefully stitched letters on one of the corners, and Time’s breath hitches in his chest, as he traces the letters.

_Link._

___

Time is walking quickly through the forest (on two legs!), cradling the child to his chest. 

His mind is whirling, all the puzzle pieces are there but a part of him can’t even begin to believe it.  
Afterall, the name could be a coincidence, but he can’t shake the familiar look of those blue eyes. 

To add on to it, the closest village to Time’s current location is Ordon village, and Time knows that place from stories told during the greatest adventure of his lifetime.

The faces of the other heroes he travelled with, the faces of _his boys_ , flash through his mind, Twilight most of all. 

The pup had somewhat latched onto him early in their travels, and Time had quickly taken up a mentor role for the younger hero. Then, after a while, he’d figured out that Twilight was one of his descendants and hadn’t that been a one-of-a-kind conversation. 

Though, looking down at the child nestled in his arms, Time has a suspicion the cub knew way long before he himself did. After all, Hylia herself could smite him where he stands right now, and it would do nothing because this is his pup _godsdammit_ and Time _will_ watch over him.

His feet finally reach an opening in the treeline, and Ordon Village appears before him, the small town bathed in the light of the early dawn. 

Soon the villagers will wake up and go about their day, but in the moment, not a single soul is in sight. 

Time sighs and looks down at the small child in his arms with a smile.

‘’Look how small you are pup,’’ he murmurs quietly. ‘’Odd to think you’ll grow up to be that strong hero I met all those years ago, hm?’’ Time continues, musing to himself. The small pup blinks up at him and babbles nonsense words in response.

Time huffs, amused. Oh, how he’s missed his boys these past decades upon decades. Having Twilight here with him now soothes a part of his soul that has been in mourning ever since he died. 

The creaking of a door opening catches his attention, and Time’s eye focuses on a man exiting one of the houses. 

‘’This is goodbye for now then pup,’’ he whispers to his descendant, as he gently lays the baby down in the grass. He walks backwards into the forest, letting out a shrill whistle to catch the other man’s attention. 

The other male’s head snaps around at the sound, and he looks around confused, before his gaze lands on the small child. The man lets out a gasp, before rushing over and picking the child up.

‘’What are you doing out here, kiddo?’’ the man asks in disbelief, checking around the area for sign of whoever placed the baby for him to find. Time stays still, hiding in the dark.

The man huffs, before looking down at the small baby in his arms, and Time knows Twilight is going to be alright, with how the man’s gaze immediately soften. 

‘’What’s your name then, little man? Don’t suppose you can tell me- oh?’’ Time watches as the man thumbs over the letters stitched into the cub’s blanket, a gentle smile on the villager’s face.

‘’Link, huh? A fine name,’’ the man chuckles. ‘’Well then Link, I’m Rusl and welcome to Ordon village,’’ the man, Rusl, says. 

Time watches as Rusl walks back into the house, before stalking back into the forest proper, heading back to where he had found Twilight. 

Afterall, Twilight’s parents are still back there. They were Twilight's family, and that makes them _his_ as well, and Time failed them by arriving late, the least he can do for them is to give his family a proper burial.

___

Twilight gets into a lot of trouble as a child. In fact, Time is currently trailing after the 3-year-old as the pup rushes through Faron woods, no doubt looking for adventure.  
At least the young child had done his chores, helping Uli around the house, before sprinting off to cause trouble. 

Ahead of him, Twilight dashes quickly over the forest floor, and if he’s not careful, he’s going to get himself hurt-  
Time winces as Twilight hits the ground hard after getting his foot caught on a tree root. 

The young boy lays still for a minute, before getting to his feet again- and immediately falls to the ground with a yelp of pain.  
Time forces down the panic he feels building in his chest. Parental instincts are good and all, but he wishes it wouldn’t give him heart attacks like this.

As he approaches the small child, he feels his wolven form change into that of the form he had when he was still alive. It seems every time he interacts with his pup, he can retake his Hylian shape. 

‘’What have I told you about running through the woods?’’ he asks as he kneels before the fallen child.

Twilight looks up at him from where he’s lying in a crumpled heap and shifts his eyes to the side.  
‘’To be careful,’’ the pup mumbles, and Time sighs. The feelings of fondness and exasperation is familiar, and Time welcomes them wholeheartedly.

‘’Going too fast makes it easy to miss hidden traps, like the root you just tripped over,’’ Time says, examining the pup’s leg. It doesn’t look broken, only sprained, but even a sprained ankle can be a pain to deal with. He ruffles Twilight’s hair fondly, much to the boy’s protest.

‘’Looks like you’ll live, pup. It was close, but I don’t think we need to chop your leg off,’’ Time says, and Twilight giggles in response. 

Time then turns around, offering his back to the boy.

‘’C’mon, I’ll carry you back to the village,’’ he says, and Twilight scrambles to climb on. He lets out a delighted shriek when Time rises to his feet with a ‘’Hyah!’’

They walk in mostly silence, interrupted only by Twilight letting out excited noises when he spots an animal that crosses their path.

Eventually though, the pup speaks with a sleepy voice.

‘’Hey Mr. Wolf?’’

‘’Yes?’’ Time answers, amused at the nickname his pup has given him.

‘’How come I never remember you after I get back to the village?’’

‘’Because you don’t need to remember me when you have no need of me,’’ Time answers, completely bullshitting.  
He has no idea why Twilight seems to forget him when they part ways, only to remember again when they meet. Though considering Time is a spirit interacting with the living world, there’s a lot that doesn’t make sense, nor will it ever so Time doesn’t pretend to think about it.

‘’Though I believe you will be able to remember me eventually,’’ he finishes.

Twilight only mumbles a quiet ‘’okay’’, before nuzzling into the back of his neck and falls asleep. Time feels his heart swell with affection.

___

When Twilight is four and a half, he stumbles across the pup reaching for a poisonous mushroom, clearly looking for a snack, and Time is quick to give a lecture on what kind of fruit and mushrooms are safe, and which ones should be avoided. Thankfully, his pup listens.

___

Time was in the middle of a good nap on a particular sunny rock when he hears children yelling. He’s awake in a flash and shoots off in the directions the sounds came from before he can even begin to think.

One of the yells had belonged to Twilight, and Time is instantly on full alert, adrenaline shooting through his body. 

He crashes out into a clearing where he spots Twilight with a stick in his hand, waving it threateningly at a group of monsters cornering him and another child, Ilia, who stands behind his pup, clutching his tunic in her hands. Twilight is only 7 years old by now, but he still stands tall, eyes filled with unwavering courage.

She spots him first, and she screams, for he must make a terrifying image to the young girl, a big snarling golden wolf with a glowing red eye.  
Twilight spins around to face the unknown threat, but he breaks into a smile as their gazes meet.

‘’Mr. Wolf!’’ the young boy exclaims. Time nods his head towards the forest and Twilight must have gotten the message he’s tried to communicate, because he grabs his friend’s hand and runs into the forest with her in tow.  
Satisfied they’ll be safe, Time turns to the monsters who _dares_ attack _his_ pup and he lets out a loud howl before he launches himself into battle. 

Once the monsters are dealt with, Time goes to track down the two children. It’s easy, Twilight’s scent is as familiar to him as his own, and it’s not long before he finds the two children.

Twilight is in the middle of comforting his friend, when she whimpers at the sight of him. Poor girl must have had quite a scare.

Twilight turns to look what has her attention, and Time gives a friendly wag of his tail as he approaches. His pup runs to meet him halfway, and he sheds his pelt in favour for embracing the boy. 

‘’Mr. Wolf! You really saved us back there!’’ Twilight says, big blue eyes looking up at him. Time chuckles and ruffles his dirty blonde hair fondly.

‘’Of course, I’ll always come to your rescue pup,’’ he says, before looking over to Ilia, giving her a warm smile.

He detangles himself from his pup’s embrace to slowly and calmly approach her, before kneeling before her and offering her his hand to shake. 

‘’Hello, you must be Ilia. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you from Link,’’ he says, ignoring Twilight’s embarrassed protesting in the background. 

Ilia flushes pink, caught of guard clearly, but she grips his hand with a surprisingly firm handshake. She takes a deep breath, collecting herself, before she looks him straight in the eye.

‘’Hello, nice to meet you. Thank you for rescuing us,’’ she says, going straight to the point. 

Time smiles softly, giving her a nod. ‘’It was no trouble.’’  
He rises to his feet, looking at the two children, with a worried look. Now that the action is behind them, the adrenaline seems to leave them, and the two of them sways slightly on their feet, clearly exhausted.  
He holds out his hands for them.

‘’Your parents might be worried about you. Let’s get you home, hm?’’

___

Time watches amused from behind the treeline as Twilight takes care of Colin. The two boys are playing safely behind Rusl’s house, and Time is glad he won’t have to worry _too_ much about them. For now, at least.

Colin is still very much a baby, but Time watches as his pup flourishes in his role as the big brother. A warm feeling settles in his chest, as he watches Twilight develop habits that Time saw in action decades earlies when he and his boys travelled together.  
The Hero of Twilight was always good with kids, and Time knows the two boys are going to drive Rusl crazy once Colin is able to keep up with his older brother on his own two legs.

Ah, such is the life of a father, Time muses to himself.

___

Time continues to watch over his pup and the boy grows from a child to a boy in his late teens. The memories are fond, and as he watches on, he catches instances of the young hero he once knew, and as the seasons pass and a feeling grows in his chest, Time knows Twilight’s journey is soon to begin.

He’s half asleep, hidden behind one of the rocks in Ordon Spring, listening to Rusl and Twilight speaking. He’s only half listening, but he catches Rusl speaking of a ‘strange sadness as dusk falls’ and ‘lingering regrets of spirits’ and ‘hour of twilight’. 

Then Rusl asks Twilight of a favour. The man speaks of a delivery, and the two of them leaves the spring with Epona in tow, and Time feels it in his bones, that it’s time. As he watches the retreating figures, he starts to prepare. Soon he’ll be giving Twilight his first sword’s lesson.

___

Somewhere else, at a different time, a young man is gazing up at the sky. He is sprawled out in the grass, weapons beside him, and he brushes his hand through the wolf pelt hanging off his shoulders.

He is remembering his childhood, and his adventures as a young hero, and in doing so, he also remembers those he met on his travels. 

‘’You really did look out for me all my life, didn’t you pops,’’ Twilight chuckles before sighing to himself and getting to his feet. 

He gathers up his weapons before heading to his next destination, the feeling of bittersweet nostalgia filling his heart.


End file.
